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    Working from home: Side hustles for teachers

    Hillary KangwanaBy
    Computer users. a list of online services provided by teachers. Photo/ Courtesy.
    Computer users. a list of online services provided by teachers. Photo/ Courtesy.

    Teachers have devised ways of smarting out of the effects meted by the current Corona virus pandemic. Instead of just idling around, the teachers are maximizing on the ample time span at their disposal to rake it in. The current Covid19 Pandemic has seen a quick shift in lifestyle; with the onset of the stringent measures actualized by the government to combat the pandemic.

    Some teachers are offering online services at a pocket friendly fee. Top in this list is the crop of tutors providing Kenya Revenue Authority, KRA, services. These include: Registering new KRA certificates, Filing individual tax returns, downloading P9 certificates, Resetting KRA Passwords, changing KRA individual Email addresses, Changing and updating tax obligations on iTax portal. These services are provided at charges of between Sh.0 and Sh.500. still on online assistance, one can be assisted with online services partaining to Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).

    “I file between 10 to 15 KRA returns (and other related services) per day; on average. I charge Sh.150 for those with withholding certificates and Sh.100 for those without the certificates,” said one teacher who has been offering the service for about five years, now. A quick calculation shows that this teacher earns close to Sh.1,000 per day.

    According to this teacher, his clients are only expected to send iTax log in credentials via WhatsApp. payment is done via Mpesa once the E-slip is generated. “I have seen a spike in the numbers of clients this year. This is partly to the current corona virus pandemic that has seen closure of most cyber cafes and Huduma Centres,” he adds. At Huduma centres filing is done at no cost and all that one needs to present is his/ her P9 form.

    “Most of my clients are teachers. I reset their KRA passwords free of charge. I have specialized in filing returns for teachers contracted by the Kenya National Examinations Council, KNEC, as examiners. For this group of teachers, declaration of withholding tax is required,” he notes. This is the easiest task to execute as one requires only a working computer (with the necessary software) and a MODEM/ phone.

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    Then, there are those teachers providing E-learning services, exam materials and consultancy services. since kids are at home, most parents are grappling with engaging the kids. As such, electronic revision materials are coming-in-handy. Some teachers have developed a number of these materials in soft copy. They then share question papers on various social media platforms. To assess the work done at home, parents and/ or teachers require marking schemes. Consequently, the teachers provide their phone contacts on the question papers and those willing can request marking schemes for as low as Sh.50 per paper set. The marking schemes are sent via Email or WhatsApp after the payment is completed through Mpesa.

    Since some schools have created WhatsApp groups for their learners (using the parent/ guardians’ phone numbers), it is booming business for these tutors. Other schools have been providing assignments through email services.

    Similarly, a section of teachers has been executing paid online advertisements and promotional services. One provides a referral code to a given online service provider and gets commissions if a customer uses the code. But, on a sad end, this has become the new scamming avenue for scammers. The scammers promise ‘huge bonuses’ to any one who shares the link to a given number of individuals or social media groups.

    There are also those teachers earning from writing services; by writing a given number of articles or pages. Others are paid for completing online assignments. Block chain and Bitcoins are other avenues used to mint money online.

    Finally, the current situation has provided those with businesses, firms and farms ample time to maximize on profits.

    For a simplified procedure/ guide for filing individual tax returns, visit:

    1. How to file KRA individual tax returns correctly; What you must have
    2. Simple procedure on how to file 2020 KRA returns, Nil returns, by using your mobile phone’s iTax App
    3. Step by step guide on how to reset your KRA password
    4. P9 form for Public servants from the public service payroll portal https://www.ghris.go.ke/ portal: County and national government employees
    5. TSC P9 Form from Payslips Portal: How to download and use the P9 form for TSC Teachers
    6. How to file 2020 KRA returns online: Simplified procedure.

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